The call was placed to the San Bruno home of William Pratt, one of California's new candidates for governor.

His mother answered.

"Could you hold on a minute?" the 18-year-old Pratt asked a reporter as he covered the receiver to shoo away his mother. "Mom, stop waving that mail in my face. I'm trying to do an interview."

The floodgates of the democratic republic opened wide Friday as Pratt and dozens of other Californians headed to their county registrars to start the process of getting on the Oct. 7 ballot to be the next governor.

They're giddy at the relative ease of it all -- especially Pratt, who lost six elections for student congress at St. Francis High School in Mountain View.

"I wasn't real good at campaigning," he said.

In most cases, a candidate needs to gather just 65 signatures of registered voters by Aug. 9 and plunk down $3,500; collecting more signatures can lower that fee. Pratt is trying for 10,000 signatures for a full fee waiver. "I don't really have a lot of money to spend on this," he said. "I've got to buy a laptop for college."

The first set of candidates hoping to step over Gov. Gray Davis and take office included everyone from the whimsical to the mad-as-hell. A wave of stunt candidacies, such as wacky disc jockeys and Playboy models, is expected to crest within days.

EXPRESSION OF FRUSTRATION

"The recall is an expression of the frustration people feel," said David Davenport, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Tossing one's hat in the ring, he said, is an extension of that.

As the ballot fills with unknowns over the next few days, Davenport said, it's best to remember the words of two-time presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson: "In America, anybody can be president. That's one of the risks you take."

So while the pundits and political operatives held their breath Friday waiting for Arnold and Arianna to decide, Michael Wozniak took action. The San Leandro resident was the first person to ask for signature papers from the Alameda County registrar.

While riding his motorcycle home, he stopped to ask his mail carrier to sign his petition. Then, not wanting to burn out on campaigning on the first day, he mowed his lawn and swept his front porch.

"There may be a lot of people coming by later," said Wozniak, a retired Oakland police officer who answers his phone with the authoritative, "Campaign headquarters."

'NO CRYBABIES'

For the 52-year-old Wozniak, "This may be the only chance in my lifetime for a reasonable person to express himself, to have some say in the political process."

And while he's got his feelings about the budget and education, and a motto -- "No crybabies" -- like most politicians, Wozniak has an issue that's especially close to his heart: the legalization of the domestic ferret. "I guess you could call that my 'pet issue.' "

Always good to flash a little humor on the campaign trail.

By Friday evening, the rumor mill was throwing out names left and right. Yes, Jerry Morissette, the longtime Interstate 280 rest stop caretaker, is gathering signatures, but no, John Ascuaga -- owner of the Nevada casino the Nugget -- is not.

"He lives in Nevada," said his spokeswoman, Frankie Vigil. Then she laughed.

"Besides, who'd want to be governor of California?"

She'd be surprised.

Among the regular Janes and Joes entering the fray, a media darling has already emerged: Georgy Russell, a 26-year-old high-tech programmer from Mountain View.

BEAUTY, BRAINS, THONG

Or, as her campaign manager described her in an e-mail: "A cute girl looking to fill the Democratic void in this election." The campaign motto: Beauty, brains, leadership. It's a strategic tack that may explain the Georgy for Governor thong underwear ($14), one of 18 Georgy items for sale on her Web site.

"Well, we had to do a little pandering at the start to get some attention, but we're going to be focusing on issues more," said Russell, who punctuated several sentences with a giggle. "I want to get more people involved, to vote, that haven't in the past."

Including Russell, who didn't vote in November's election.

"Oops, I probably shouldn't have told you that," she said.

Some pundits have said the recall election is what the ancient Athenians had in mind -- democracy in its purest state.

Uh, kind of, said Marsh McCall, a Stanford University professor of classics.

The recall is more like the Athenian tradition of ostracism, McCall said, where once a year voters could chose one candidate they'd like to see banished from the city for 10 years. They didn't have to give a reason -- just a name.

The equanimity of early Athenian democracy may have been over-romanticized by later generations, McCall said. Only men could vote, and "even then, the elite and wealthy controlled most of the political power."

Perhaps that was known to the anonymous person who posted this message on Georgy Russell's Web site:

"Don't do it, Georgy! The smart money says you're better off as a programmer with a good heart and good motivation."

UP AND RUNNING

William Pratt

Background: 18-year-old resident of San Bruno.

Experience: Lost six elections for student congress at St. Francis High School in Mountain View.

Quote: "I wasn't real good at campaigning."

Michael Wozniak

Background: Retired Oakland police officer.

Experience: Treasurer of a motorcycle club.

Motto: "No crybabies."

Issue: Legalization of the domestic ferret.

Jerry Morissette

Background: Longtime caretaker at Interstate 280 rest stop.

Georgy Russell

Background: 26-year-old high-tech programmer from Mountain View.

Motto: Beauty, brains, leadership.

Quote: "We had to do a little pandering at the start to get some attention."